It was a search for a missing dog that could easily have been turned into a detective film involving a car chase and a severed animal head.

For the last three weeks Curt and Gisele Johnson have been desperately looking for Gaz, a German shepherd husky, who was last seen near Great Yarmouth’s Pleasure Beach on Friday, June 8.

Luckily the search has proved successful and Gaz is now back home following a dramatic sequence of events.

Gaz was finally reunited with his owners on Thursday night thanks to the power of social media and the determination of the Johnsons, who scoured the area for him as far as Lowestoft.

Mr Johnson had followed a lead that Gaz has been seen on the seafront by the Pleasure Beach and went down there with his wife on Thursday.

They found a couple who had Gaz and claimed he was theirs.

The couple then drove away in a car with Gaz, leading to the Johnsons following them in their van across the town, calling police as they did so.

It ended with the car with Gaz in stopping by the former heliport on Caister Road and police officers then reuniting Gaz with his delighted owners, with even the police calling it a “happy ever after” story.

Recalling the chase and his emotions Mr Johnson, who runs a fun park business, said: “It was tense, it was stressful, emotions were on a different level. But luckily it had a happy ending.

“It is great to have Gaz back and he has not left my side since.

“I would like to thank everyone that shared and posted pictures and tried to help us get reunited with Gaz.”

No police action was taken against the couple who had Gaz. They had told officers they had found him on the beach and were just looking after him.

A police spokesman added it was “a happy ever after” story.

The other strange twist in the search was that an off-duty police officer had told Mr Johnson that a severed animal head found at Roman Place may have been Gaz’s. However tests have now confirmed that it is a pig’s head.